The Meaning of 'Together'
by Black Silken Rose
Summary: Hiei finds himself blindsided when faced with the fact that Kurama's partnership with a certain chimera hasn't left him. As he tries to look past the surface of their relationship Hiei finds himself troubled by growing feelings: mainly inadequacy. Shounen ai
1. Chapter 1

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Whatever it was, it glimmered like treasure, sparkled like diamonds. His first instinct was to reach out for it, to take it, and in his haze he almost fell prey to desire. Yet somewhere, deep in the recesses of his mind, he knew that his awareness was impaired, and he held back. It was then that chaos broke loose.

A shout sounded in the distance, and suddenly a dark filter fell over the scene. He couldn't help but blink rapidly, trying to adjust his vision, lest his prize be lost in the darkness. He caught sight of it one more, that sparkle, before realizing where he was. Bamboo shoots lined the small area of clearing that encircled him, the stench of blood becoming more and more apparent as he realized with panic what was about to happen. The sparkle caught his eye despite him not wanting to see, and time slowed to a near halt. Then, without warning, the chase began.

"I have to go back for it!" That voice echoed in his ears, a voice so long lost that he almost collapsed at the sound of it. Turning to face its owner, he found himself frozen as lights shot over the thick foliage, pursuers near. He began to sweat, out of breath, though it didn't compare to his companion. Panic stricken eyes pleaded at him from behind strands of mussed black hair that fell over his face as he turned back to run, wings folded behind him like a small, scared bird. His state didn't stop him, though, as he bolted back, running as fast as strong legs would take him to the thing that he held most dear. Knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop him, he cried out, his voice a desperate sobbing plea against a body that would not move.

"Kuronue, don't!"

As soon as the words left his lips, fate made its decision. He screamed as the trap activated, blood hitting his face, life draining from the crippled body in front of him. The pendant swung from a shoot just out of reach, taunting the pair in their last moments together. Knowing that it would be the last time he heard it, the other braced himself for the last words to come, shaking in raw agony.

"That's enough, Kurama."

The blood was gone. It was the first thought that formed in his mind as he opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling over him. A second passed before he realized exactly what had happened, his physical state no different than what his mind had conjured. Needing to feel the tangible, he sat up, trying to conceal the shaking in his hands. Green eyes searched rapidly for the voice that had broken him from the nightmare. They settled on the far corner of the room, the fire demon sitting on the floor trying to look bored as he leaned against the wall, but his tenseness coming off clearly. Noting his presence, and his surroundings, the other let out a shaky breath that seemed to have been stuck. He composed himself as best as possible, knowing that his companion would be keeping an eye on him.

"What are you doing over there?" He said by means of greeting, ready to give his mind something other than what had happened to think about. The smaller youkai raised a warded eyebrow, his arms tucked into his cloak.

"I found your breathing agitating."

"Agitating?" The kitsune gave him an unamused look, and to his surprise the other failed to meet his eyes for a moment.

"Agitated. It didn't seem right to sleep next to someone whose breathing was so agitated." The fox let his eyes fall in response, realizing that he would have been happier in accepting the sarcastic comment. "What happened?"

"You don't know?" Hiei rolled his eyes before giving his friend a petulant look. Why Kurama would assume that he'd use his abilities to spy on his dreams was beyond him, and childish by the look of his face. The kitsune smiled lightly, and the fire demon realized that he had been baited.

"I suppose my past is catching up with my humanity." The tone was wistful, but if fell just off the mark. Hiei watched as Kurama looked past him and through the window instead, knowing how bothered he was and how little he wanted to bother Hiei with it. A part of him wondered if Kurama thought him incapable of caring. Finding himself hurt at his own thoughts, the fire demon pressed forward.

"You're in pain." There was a question in his words, and Kurama forced himself to look at the other, finding, if nothing else, patience. He folded his hands in his lap, trying to situate himself comfortably before attempting to explain a past that had been forgotten before his comrade had even been born. His excuses for stalling were, though, just that.

"Yes," he whispered, cursing himself when he realized that his tone had inspired visible concern in his counterpart. He struggled, trying not to falter, focusing on aspects of a past that had not managed to show in his dream. "This last debacle between good and evil has left me with a bit more to think about than usual, I'm afraid."

The slight widening of red eyes showed that he suddenly understood, at least, the context of his nightmare. Kurama had always been weaker than the others in the respect that his emotional state was what the enemies sought to exploit. Perhaps it was his constant state of control, or the cold calm in his eyes, but nonetheless it led to deep internal battles that lasted long after the dust had settled on the battlefield and the bodies had been removed. Hiei himself had been so wrapped up in his own emotions over Kurama's final fight that he had fallen into the category of the rest of the team members: fooled into thinking that the fox was alright. He of all people should have known better. Still, it was understandable, what with the first piece of evidence that he had not been Kurama's only partner. The sight of the chimera had riddled the fire demon with feelings of jealousy and inadequacy, but that had only been heightened with watching what a visceral reaction the fox had to his emergence. He had been more than happy to bury all thoughts of it in the darkest corner of his mind once the fallacy had been revealed. He had been truly foolish to think he was the only one.

"I think I've forgotten what it meant to mourn that loss." The fire demon snapped out of his thoughts at the other's voice. The fox was smiling at him with sad eyes, seeming to apologize without meaning to. He answered with a puzzled look, unsure of how to word what had crossed his mind without stepping on the proverbial landmine.

"Kurama," he paused, then gave up looking for the right words with a shake of his head. "What exactly was your relationship with that apparition?"

He regretted the words as soon as they left him, but he knew that the longer the question lingered in his mind, the more vulnerable he would feel. It was only natural, of course, to want to know about his teammate's past, wasn't it? Kurama looked blindsided for a fraction of a second, then seemed to have similar trouble expressing himself.

"We were partners, bandits, the two of us. It was in great part due to our teamwork that I built my empire, once upon a time. That partnership was not unlike ours, you know." His eyes echoed nostalgia and remembered happiness, though his voice hinted at sadness. The hi youkai stared, finding himself steeled by the look.

"He was precious to me. You remind me of him, in some ways. Though," he said with a more genuine laugh, "he would have woken me up much sooner, if I were 'agitating'." Hiei frowned at him, only making the self pleased look on his face grow. A less intense version of the feelings he had gone through that night was beginning to take form, though he tried to will it away. Smug fox.

"Tell me then, what exactly would he have done next?" The bitter question was meant to serve as further distraction for the fox, but he found that it backfired, the kitsune's face immediately falling. His eyes darted away from the fire demon quickly, some sort of memory or answering realization surfacing. Hiei knew immediately that it had been one which was private, one which he would be better off not thinking too deeply about. It didn't add well to the mix of feelings so far.

"It's late. Perhaps we should try to get some more sleep." The fox lay back down, eyes wide and open, fixed on a spot on the ceiling. A moment of silence passed between them before he sat back up, looking at the other with light exasperation. "You don't plan on staying there for the rest of the night, do you?"

The look the fire demon gave him said exactly that.

"Hiei, please, come to bed. I promise to keep any breathing disturbances to myself." Their eyes locked from across the room, and in that moment both of them tried to read into the color of the other's irises. Then, slowly, the fire demon slid his arms from his sleeves and knelt to unbuckle his heavy boots. The kitsune immediately relaxed, though he didn't overlook the trepidant pace at which he moved. A small word of thanks was whispered as the smaller of the two slid under the blanket, his mind far too awake for sleep. The fox let his eyes close, his breathing even and measured now, seemingly falling into an easy sleep. A few minutes passed, the stillness of the room oppressive and hovering as far as the fire demon was concerned.

"I forgot to ask, why did you come tonight, Hiei?" The fire demon turned his head to stare at his partner, noting how he didn't open his eyes while he spoke. He let the moment pass, taking in his delicate features from as close as he knew he could get.

"I smelled rain on the air," he lied quietly, not for a moment taking his eyes off of the pale face in front of him. He almost mimicked the movement when a small smile appeared on the other's lips, but the words that followed killed the instinct, for reasons he refused to address.

"Mmm, good. I always sleep better knowing you're by my side." And with nothing else to say, the kitsune gave in to a this time restful slumber.

Curling one hand painfully into a fist, the fire demon forced his eyes shut, hoping that sleep would be merciful and spare him the analytics. Surrounded by the smell of roses, mercy left him to suffer.

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	2. Chapter 2

Hello! So after getting some wonderful feedback, I've decided to continue this one. Keep an eye out for one more chapter, and let me know what you think!

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Disclaimer: YYH is not mine, I'm not nearly smart enough to have thought of the brilliance that is Yusuke Urameshi and Co.

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The kitsune was the first to wake. It was only natural, seeing as how the jaganshi had only fallen asleep in the waking hours of daylight. His presence had been soothing to the half demon, who had slept dreamlessly once the other had situated himself by his side. Taking a moment to wipe the drowsiness from his eyes, the fox stared down at his counterpart, whose face managed to hold lines of worry even in his sleep. He smiled, reaching out to brush the tips of his hair away, but pulled back abruptly. No, that place was not his. Without dwelling on it too much, he slipped from the bed soundlessly, filing into his routine and leaving the other to his restfulness.

It was hours later when the hi youkai woke, finding himself alone. Not knowing where or when the fox had departed, he moved quickly, jumping out of bed and pulling his boots and cloak on hurriedly. He had not meant to sleep for so long – in fact, it had been decided that he would be the one to leave while the other slept, to give him time to process what they had gone through the night before.

_The night before_. He cursed under his breath, ducking through the open window and out into the cool mid-morning air. Damn the fox, giving him reason to break from his unaffectedness, yet still denying him answers. He was less than satisfied, he thought, making his way toward the less populated end of the city, with the way that things had ended. Either Kurama was completely unaware that he had failed to address the issue or didn't think it necessary. Hiei couldn't help but frown at this, not sure which of the two was true and which he wanted to be true.

Worse yet, he knew that he wouldn't be able to move past the issue until it was resolved. The very thought of having to pry into Kurama's wound to address his own left him with an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach, but there was nothing else he could think to do. The avoidance he had been faced with last night, the blatant holes that Kurama had left him to fill in were eating away at him. They raised questions that he had thought himself above: _Why did he choose me to begin with? What does he think _I _could have to offer him?_

_Does he even trust me with himself?_

He stopped dead in his tracks as the words slipped through their warded place in his mind, finally making themselves known. Not caring that he had paused at the edge of an abandoned wharf, he sat down, legs crossed underneath him and hands folded under his chin in thought.

Doubt. This meant trouble. It had been far too long since he held any doubts about his partnership with Kurama; nothing of the sort had entered his mind since sometime before Maze Castle. There had been concern, worry, anger even, but doubt had been killed by the fox's pledge of allegiance after his betrayal. It was only then that he had really gotten to know the fox, but he supposed it was then that the other truly let him in for the first time. After their probation sentence, the kitsune had let down his greatest guard around Hiei, letting him see just how much he was human and just how much he was not, no masks or pretense. It was then that Hiei was allowed to make the distinction between the three, finding Kurama somewhere in the middle. But now he found himself reevaluating. Again, he was unsure.

Perhaps it was a different side of the beast within him, a side that no one had seen before. Perhaps the Kurama that he had come to know was more of his old self than he cared to admit. Either way, Hiei saw something come out in him at the sight of the chimera that he had never expected.

He found he hated it.

An incoming flock of sea birds caught his attention and he shook his head, amending his thoughts. No, what he hated was not how the fox responded to the other, it was _that_ he responded to him. The look in his eyes, the pain in his voice, all of which indicated that their partnership had not dissolved cleanly. Suddenly, he felt like a fool.

After all of the promises, the atonement, the stakes he went to in order to gain his trust, Hiei could not believe that it was Kurama who was less committed to their partnership. But even that was a lie.

The fire demon dug his fingers into his hair, trying desperately not to let his mind access the thoughts which would bring his ruin. No amount of justification was proving successful – he knew that it was himself that he was bothered by. _His_ reaction to the fox's, _his _feelings about the chimera's emergence: they were all far too obvious, screaming at him too loud to be ignored. His best bet would be to ignore the kitsune all together, to run and disappear without a word on the matter. To give up on their partnership before it was torn out from under them.

But logic wasn't his particular specialty. That was the other's. So he left, heading back to the only place he could think of to find answers to deflect his own, hoping that he believed his own lies enough to convince the fox that they were true.

Kurama returned home in the early afternoon, happy to find the house quiet and welcoming, a perfect setting for his mood. Somehow knowing that his companion would be back at some point, he took to tidying up the space, humming a low tune as he worked, his mind pleasantly numb compared to the night before. Once he was satisfied with the state of his room, he wandered into the kitchen. Shiori, as she usually was, would be home by evening, meaning that if he wanted the opportunity to eat with his less than social friend, it would have to be done before then. He took his time in the preparations, enjoying the mundane task more than usual, wondering when the other would decide to come back around.

It was still fairly early when Hiei sulked in, the food neatly balanced on a tray on the kitsune's night table, the fox himself situated in his desk chair, reading. Hiei cocked his head at the display, and the fox peeked over his book, taking a moment to mark his page and return it to its proper shelf.

"I thought we could share a meal together. Though, I do admit I picked at mine while I waited." He smiled, somewhat sheepishly. Indeed, there were a few half full bowls in front of him, their contents the same as the others. Hiei only stared dumbly, his mind still focused inward, not quite ready to process outside words. His tone hit a nerve, the sweet note that Hiei had always secretly been fond of coming off differently, as if he were being talked to like a child. The fox looked at him, his eyes deepening as he noticed. "Hiei?"

The fire demon nodded toward him, sitting down on the floor and taking a bowl of lukewarm soup from the tray. He glanced at it mildly, bringing it to his lips but finding that it tasted like ash. He put it down, unsure how to proceed.

"You're upset…still." The words came slowly, as if he were realizing something that should have been obvious to him before. Hiei found himself fascinated by his bootlaces, a pang hitting him as he confirmed that it had been the first of the two after all.

"I'm not." _Idiot, of course you are. Surely you don't think he's equally as much of a fool._ The kitsune's face fell, and suddenly Hiei felt guilty over his demeanor.

"I don't understand. Is this about Kuronue?" Red eyes shot up toward him at the mention of the name, and Kurama sat back in his chair, trying to collect the puzzle pieces he had so far. "I thought we discussed this." Hiei shot him an accusatory look.

"Not thoroughly enough." The fox looked truly confused now, his face both cautious and unsure.

"I'm sorry, Hiei, I can't see what's going on. If there's something you wish to know, just ask it. I cannot fix this until you do." Without thinking, the smaller youkai met his eyes with an intensity that the fox was unprepared for. It took him aback.

"What was it like, in the camp?" The kitsune blinked, his directionality challenged.

"You mean in my camp?" Hiei nodded, his face hard and attentive. The fox shook his head, denying him. "That's not the question in your eyes. What are you trying to ask me, Hiei?" The fire demon ground his teeth, frustration pooling from unspoken words.

"What was it like. With him." This time when the fox faltered Hiei bit back his harsh words, knowing that what was to come would not be easy for his companion, even if he was being evasive. Kurama's face was pained, as if the thought of his former comrade stung him like one of his deadly thorns. The fire demon watched, as patient as he could be, as a storm of emotion flooded the other's face. He tried to read it, but it passed too quickly, leaving clear and present sorrow.

"Why do you need to know?" He finally whispered, his eyes on the floor, then meeting the other's. It was Hiei's turn to fumble, to try and come up with something that held truth without breaching dangerous territory.

"You almost threw it all away," he was surprised at the calm in his voice, how his tone had managed to even out. Still, there was a hint of matching sorrow in it, one he did not know how to get rid of. "For him. Again, you stepped up alone, refused my help, let him hurt you. And if it had been him you would have died willingly." _Or left me._

"I would not have."

The fox was absolutely bristling, having stood at such a resigned accusation. Hiei looked at him with dead eyes that resisted his denial, only infuriating him all the more.

"I understand that your experience among the bandits that raised you was not the same as mine," he shot coolly, "but I would hope that if for some reason you left me today and we came across each other years later on the opposite sides of an allegiance, you would at least pause before killing me." Hiei was momentarily shocked, both at the insinuation that he would be the one to destroy their partnership, and at the barb the fox had aimed at the fact that Hiei's adolescence had been companionless, while his had not. Whether intentional or not, the kitsune wounded him more deeply, pushing.

"I'm sorry that you're not the first person I've trusted with my life." It was the second apology, a backhanded one, and at this Hiei pushed back.

"You don't know what you're talking about-" The kitsune took a step toward him, anger coming off of him in waves.

"No Hiei, that would be you. What you don't know about Kuronue and I could fill a book. Why you think you know what I would or would not have done then is ludicrous."

"You were lovers."

The room went still in a moment, Kurama staring at him with eyes wide, Hiei gripping the material of his pants with force that caused his hands to shake. His head was hung over his lap, but Kurama could see that he was fighting for something, whether it was words, action, or something else, he couldn't tell. All he could see was the anger, and when he did speak, the genuine hurt that poured out of him.

"You don't get it, Kurama. Imagine living in the shadow of someone you didn't know was there, not knowing all along that there was something you could never live up to. Could we ever have _really_ been partners, Kurama, or was I all you could get?" He spat the last words as he stood, making for the still open window instinctively, without a glance back.

It was too late by the time a lost piece fell into place in the kitsune's head, by the time he shouted the other's name, no longer in anger. By that time he found himself alone. He sunk down onto his bed, letting himself curl into a ball, worrying about losing another partner until exhaustion and sleep took him. It was hours later when Shiori returned to find him there, fully clothed and in a distressed slumber, his breathing rapid and eyes shut tightly. Kissing him on the forehead, she covered him with an extra blanket, leaving him to his troubled dreams.

As she made her way out, she took with her a tray of untouched food which had grown stale in waiting.

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	3. Chapter 3

That's right, thanks to the support I've been getting from you guys I managed to finish my second multichapter HieiXKurama fic! Thanks so much to those of you who have been pushing me- I honestly would never get anywhere without you. I hope you like it!

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Disclaimer: I do not own YYH or make money from it. But that would be cool.

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He knew it had been too long since he had practiced his thieving arts when he found himself on the verge of being caught, hands the proverbial red, outside of the door he needed to gain access to. The footsteps coming his way had not been rushed, signaling that he hadn't been sensed, but they were mere moments away from rounding the corner when he finally felt the click he was looking for and slipped inside. He pressed his ear against the inside of the door, listening to make sure that he had entered unnoticed, before taking a deep breath. _Well, at least I know what my next project is,_ he thought with a sigh, taking in his surroundings. It had been months since he had been here, and even then it had been brief. Carefully, as not to disturb any of the items in the room, he chose a shadowy corner, pushing his back against the wall and letting his energy drop to next to nothing.

And so he waited.

It had been his only option, to retreat. Since his usual solace happened to be where he was running from, he had taken the nearest portal to Makai. Not bothering to check in with the lord of Alaric, he had taken the opportunity to test the compound's guards, who seemed terrified at the least at his sudden arrival. A few of them needed beheading, he decided after seeing their performance, but he didn't feel like having to justify his kills. He'd deal with them when he felt capable of dealing with her. At least it had been a workout, a way to blow off some of the energy he had pent up after... _that_. The mere thought of it sent him reeling.

He retired to his room without bothering to clean the blood off of his sword first, closing the door behind him with an angry swing. It put up no resistance, and he sighed heavily, suddenly alone for the first time in a while. Or so he thought. There was a moment of silence in which he relaxed before the presence in the room made itself known.

"Your security needs updating." The voice immediately followed a spike in energy in the room, making him suddenly alert. He didn't, however, turn, knowing that it would give the other the satisfaction of seeing that he had been startled. Then again, the hairs which stood straight up on the back of his neck probably did that for him. "We need to talk."

"Haven't we done enough of that?"

"I did not realize you were the only one allowed to find our conversation inadequate." Hiei spat into the corner, blood mixed in with bile. He pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it blindly aside.

"What do you want Kurama?" He busied himself with his bootlaces, not bothering to grace the other with a look. The fox pushed off of the wall, stepping into the light.

"We need to talk." He repeated patiently. He was met with silence. The boots were thrown aside with the shirt, and the apparition sat, picking the blood out of his hair. The fox watched him for a moment, then continued. "You're determined, aren't you, to end this collaboration."

Hiei looked up at him for the first time, his eyes hard.

"It's not me wherein the problem lies." He shot back, his head beginning to hurt. He must have hit it, or perhaps the fox had a similar effect to a rock to his skull. That seemed more likely.

"Yes, Hiei. It is." His temper flared at the insinuation, and he glared at the kitsune, eyes lit with fire. The fox looked equally as miffed, which didn't seem to help his case. The hi youkai unbuckled his sword belt, placing it on the bed next to him, his grip shattering.

"I'm not the one being antagonistic here." He pushed, taking words from the other's vernacular and throwing them back at him. Kurama ran a hand through his hair, combing out red.

"Yes, you made that clear the other night." He said with the roll of an eye, something that was reserved for his hot headed partner. Hiei glared, weighing how much killing him would be worth the silence. Kurama's face said that he knew what was going through his head, and not very.

"And what revelation has brought you here tonight, then?" Hiei asked, wondering what could have changed in a day. The kitsune hesitated, saying more than words could have.

"Nothing you're ready to hear," he said softly, seeming to not know how to proceed. The fire demon stared, not sure whether to be infuriated by his companion's behavior of puzzled by it. His body language was closed off, arms wrapped around his chest, almost as if holding himself. Despite the harshness of his tone, he seemed almost vulnerable. Knowing that he was being studied, the kitsune shifted, breaking the other's thoughts. "There's something we need to get clear, you and I."

"What would that be?" The fire demon wondered if there even _was_ a 'you and I' to worry over. The muscles in his arms were taut, clearly anticipating some sort of finalization to their discussion. The fox's state was similar, though he did a better job at hiding it, for the moment.

"That the comparison you seem to be wrapped up in is not one I ever thought to make." Hiei's eyes narrowed, clearly saying that he didn't believe it for a second. The fox shook his head roughly, a forelock that had been tucked behind his ear falling forward. "I have no reason to lie to you, Hiei. It's also why it took me so long to see what the problem really was between us, though I do admit I'm puzzled by that as well…" he trailed off, the look in his eyes dulling as he averted them, thinking of his next words. The smaller youkai let him get away with the evasive movement, not wanting to meet the other's gaze. Even if they had been true, the words felt like a fallacy.

"Do you actually expect me to believe that, or did you think I'd just play along for the sake of our partnership?" He said quietly in response, the animosity that he had intended missing the mark. He looked ready to continue, but the kitsune stepped forward.

"Hiei, I've already told you that it isn't like that," he began, desperation lacing his tone for the first time since that night. This caught the other's attention, though he hated to admit it. Catching the other's eye, he found in them a plea, one he did not quite understand. Taking his silence as invitation to continue, the fox jumped in again.

"There is… a variable. One that I never considered during the course of our partnership. If, in fact, my assumption was correct then I would have no basis upon which to compare you to him." Hiei noted that he had avoided the chimera's name. "But I'm beginning to think, well I don't know what to think. The only thing that makes logical sense is that this assumption was wrong, but that only leaves me with more questions than before."

"What are you getting at, Kurama?" He snapped, his patience at its end. He had no idea how much worse it was about to get.

"You love me."

The fox's voice held no room for argument, but his eyes spoke differently. _Tell me you don't,_ they challenged, unsure. _Just try to tell me you don't_. Every inch of him was tense, waiting.

Hiei did nothing for a moment, sitting as still as he could, avoiding the other's eye. Then, slowly, he turned his face away, hiding his eyes in the shadows. His hand curled around the edge of the blanket he sat upon, forming a fist.

"No." He growled, the word like venom on his tongue. "I don't want this. I won't do this."

The kitsune took a step back, realizing how much he had invaded the other's space during their verbal spar. He watched as the other shook in what he presumed was anger, the temperature in the room seeming to grow warmer.

"Let's go back to before the final battles. Let's return to a time when we thought of ourselves as teammates."

Hiei's mouth was dry as he spoke, the words coming out without the emotion that triggered them. Risking the other seeing his eyes, he turned his head, trying to catch a glimpse of the redhead. He found himself looking up at a face far away, both in the sense that Kurama had planted himself against the wall again and that his mask was on.

"That's what I thought," he whispered, meeting the other's eyes with ones that held nothing. He broke the gaze quickly, letting his bangs fall in his face. This time, it was his turn for anger to coat his words, the hands clutching around himself in fists as tight as his counterpart's. "Then tell me, why? Why are you so bothered by him?"

The hi youkai couldn't respond, too wrapped up in the other's reaction to his words to form new ones. Kurama's voice changed with his next words, echoes of hurt that he did not want heard passing through his lips.

"Kuronue allowed me to love him, and chose to love me in return. That's why, Hiei, it never occurred to me to compare you." Taking his cue from the other, the fox sidestepped, looking to the window for escape.

It was then that Hiei realized his mistake. The kitsune had not been looking for a challenge- he had been looking for an admission. He had been looking for self validation. He had effectively told him, in his backward and manipulative way, that he loved him while accusing the other of the same.

All at once he began to panic, realizing that his answer had been the wrong one- that he was about to lose the fox for good. There had been two possible courses of action that he feared from the beginning: the first having already happened. Knowing that he would either have to acknowledge it or face the second, the fire demon sealed his fate.

It was the last thing Kurama expected, to find himself pulled off of the windowsill and pushed backwards against it. In the same second, a hand wove through his hair, the other wrapping around his back to support them. It was a moment before he realized that he was being kissed, deeply, by the same mouth that had served his rejection.

Shock turned to reaction, reaction to passion, and passion to relief as they finally broke apart, each equally as breathless as the other. Kurama let himself fall forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Hiei, who suddenly found himself supporting all of his weight. There was a small movement, a squeeze, then something resembling a laugh. The fire demon held him tightly through this, somehow still afraid of letting go.

"I never thought there was a chance," Hiei let his head fall to the other's shoulder at the heartbroken sound of his voice, sharing in his sorrowful relief.

"Me neither." The redhead pulled back, just enough so that he was supporting himself, his nose centimeters from black, dirtied hair.

"What fools we must be." He smiled, the first genuinely happy look Hiei had seen from him all night. He detached himself from the kitsune slowly, as if unsure how to be apart from him. The fox let him, though he didn't try to help. Hiei turned away, face warm, unused to the touch of another. Moving his sword, he shot a look over his shoulder.

"Don't think this means you can start comparing us now." The dark tone was back in his voice, but it was no different from usual, the deadpan having returned. Kurama beamed, his eyes bright, then walked over to join the other by the bed.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He picked at the other's hair playfully, earning him an annoyed swat before they bantered over sleeping arrangements, baths, and whatever else they could before falling asleep hand in hand. Life continued in much of the same way.

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